Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez declined to discuss her personal life Wednesday when questioned about her reported split from longtime fiancé Riley Roberts, just days after publicly sharing details of her fertility treatment with millions of followers.
The New York Democrat was leaving her Queens apartment building Wednesday morning to walk her French bulldog, Deco, whom she shared with Roberts, when a reporter asked about the status of their relationship.
“I don’t comment on my private life – thank you,” Ocasio-Cortez responded with a smile.
The 36-year-old congresswoman, who was not wearing an engagement ring, declined to answer additional questions about Roberts.
Later Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez’s former deputy chief of staff, Naureen Akhtar, appeared to have a bouquet of flowers delivered to the congresswoman. The arrangement included sunflowers and yellow roses and was addressed to “Sandy,” a nickname for Ocasio-Cortez.
“Thinking of you!” the accompanying note read. “Hope these flowers bring some light to your day. Love, Naureen.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s refusal to address questions about her relationship comes after she spent much of the past week offering her 9.6 million Instagram followers a detailed look at another deeply personal part of her life: her decision to freeze her eggs.
The Bronx and Queens congresswoman has been publicly documenting the fertility treatment process on social media.
In one video, Ocasio-Cortez displayed her home treatment setup, including vials, syringes and other medical implements used during the process.
The video eventually showed the congresswoman lifting her shirt, wiping her stomach with an alcohol wipe and administering an injection herself.
“Don’t be weird about this,” Ocasio-Cortez said shortly before giving herself the shot.
The congresswoman has described her decision to undergo the fertility treatment as a personal choice intended to give her greater control over her future.
She said the treatment was “a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life.”
Ocasio-Cortez has also pushed back against speculation and assumptions surrounding the decision, including suggestions that freezing her eggs was connected to a breakup with Roberts.
She has similarly brushed aside speculation that the move signals plans to delay motherhood while pursuing a possible presidential campaign.
Ocasio-Cortez has been the subject of speculation about a potential White House run in 2028, though the congresswoman’s fertility treatment has fueled additional discussion about what her future plans might include.
For now, however, Ocasio-Cortez appears willing to publicly document some aspects of her personal life while drawing a firm line around others.
When confronted Wednesday with questions specifically concerning Roberts and their relationship, the congresswoman made clear she had nothing further to say.
“I don’t comment on my private life,” she said.
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